The Children of Berlin
Sharon Maas
423 pages
Bookouture
published June 22, 2023
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About the book
‘I will never forgive you! You had a choice. You could have listened to your mother, your brother, your father, but you chose to listen to those monsters. And that choice remains with you. Forever.’
Berlin, 1933. Leah and Magda have been inseparable for as long as they can remember, and one beautiful summer’s day in their courtyard, they vow nothing will ever come between their friendship. But Leah could never have predicted the darkness looming just around the corner…
As Hitler comes to power and the Nazi Party gain even more influence, Magda proudly tells Leah she has decided to join the Hitler Youth. Leah’s blood runs cold before she begs Magda to change her mind – because Leah is Jewish. Magda refuses, and heartbroken Leah knows this will not only destroy their friendship, but put her life in mortal danger. Suddenly, the only light in her life is Magda’s brother Markus, who is furious at his sister and vows to do everything he can to keep Leah safe.
As Magda becomes more entrenched in the Nazi Party, Leah’s life starts to shatter as the Gestapo raid her home, sending her beloved brother Aaron to a concentration camp. Devastated, Leah and her parents are forced to flee and hide. Desperate to save Leah, Markus decides the only way he can help stop the Nazis and his sister is to infiltrate the party as an undercover resistance fighter. But will Magda see through his lie, and how far will she go to prove her loyalty to her Führer?
A powerful and heartbreaking novel about love, family, betrayal and sacrifice perfect for fans of The Alice Network, The White Rose Network, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Nightingale.
My Review
While historical fiction is not one of my most read genres, I find I always learn such interesting things when I venture in and read it. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book from the perspective of someone living in Germany after WWI. Dealing with reparations and then the rise of Hitler and continuing on through the war and its aftermath. This book is rife with foreshadowing as it starts with the reader knowing Leah and Magda were the best of friends until they weren’t. I know so very little about the wars that I had to stop and look up the significance of January 30, 1933.
It’s 1963 and Leah receives a letter from Magda recounting her story from their childhood and ultimately trying to make amends. In alternating chapters of Leah remembering the past and Magda’s letter narrating her side of the story, their tale unfolds. I was mesmerized. Knowing information was not as readily available as it was even 25 years ago, I have often wondered how Hitler was able to appeal to so many Germans. This shed some light on how Magda came under his spell.
At times this is hard to read, but it should be. This is a sensitive, but important subject. As we grow close to losing the last holocaust survivors, it’s books like this, so heavy in their research, that will tell the stories we all need to know. I am never sure who first said it, but if we don’t know history we are doomed to repeat it. And make sure and read to the end and read the acknowledgements to read about the real life women who influenced the story.
I don’t know what made me pick this book as one of my rare historical reads, but I am so very glad I did.
This is a unique story that will have me thinking for a long time to come. You don’t need to be a historical fiction fan to be taken in by these characters and their stories. I can’t recommend this one enough.

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